Historical Portrait
Lester L. Huff (World War I, Tulare County)
Archive record
Portrait of Lester L. Huff, World War I soldier and wagoner from Visalia, Tulare County, California, circa 1914. Public-domain historical photograph.
About this photograph
Lester L. Huff served in the First World War as a wagoner from Visalia in Tulare County, California. The photograph dates from between 1914 and 1918.
Tulare County lies in California's San Joaquin Valley, a farming region that grew rapidly in the late nineteenth century through irrigated agriculture. The county library maintains an extensive local history photograph collection documenting ordinary residents rather than prominent figures.
The United States entered the war in April 1917. Local photography studios found steady work taking portraits of enlistees in uniform before they shipped out. For many young men these sittings produced the only formal photograph they would ever have made, and families kept copies at home while their sons were away.
The role of wagoner involved handling the teams and vehicles that moved supplies, equipment and sometimes wounded men. It was essential work that required skill with horses and harness under all conditions.
The photographer is not identified. The photograph is held by the Internet Archive as part of material digitised under California Revealed, a statewide programme making collections from California libraries and historical societies publicly available online.
Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.
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